Last fall, a Morning Consult report showed that 69% of Americans believed that CEOs should either communicate their position on social, political and cultural issues OR make statements on them when they're directly related to their business. Today, new research shows that now more than ever, Americans demand that corporate leaders speak up and take a stand. The study, conducted by DC-based public opinion research firm KRC Research, found that a large majority of consumers expect engagement on social issues. The Pulse on America report revealed the following new stats:
82% of consumers expect companies to take public positions on human rights, while climate change (73%), racism (72%) and gun violence (70%) are subjects that consumers also expect companies to address. And a majority of consumers – 65 percent – said a company has a responsibility to speak up even when the subject is sensitive or controversial - up 7 percentage points since the group's 2022 study.
PR and Communications teams are the C Suite's best traveling partners for the road ahead. And NOW is the time to get plans and messages mapped out if you haven't already. Bond Studios can help you with this "PR in the C Suite" checklist for success:
✔️ Regularly touch on your value and values through internal comms work so that your team understands vision, mission and brand DNA. Comms teams have the power to empower.
✔️ Using your vision, mission and brand guides, build a mechanism for assessing how, when and why your company could or would speak out.
✔️ With that process in mind, develop a communications matrix that clearly articulates your message for good times and bad.
✔️ Dust off (or build!) your crisis playbook for those bad times and run through the plan with your comms team and other key players. Don't ignore this important exercise.